Kathmandu: Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I am hoping that today is a turning point and that the political situation in USA will now get better. Of course, I am really happy Hillary won in Pennsylvania and I hope she wins the White House too. In a certain sense, the situation seems totally lost on Obama and his minions; they are so intent on winning for themselves, they have forgotten about the world out there. He is spending so much money; and not a paisa is going for something poor out there. I suppose it is against campaign laws to donate to Charity, but he donated a lot to Charity when he got the money back from his friend who is on trail. He sure has come out with a parade of people that if the rest of us had befriended, we would be in the dump. But not him. I guess he really is out there promoting a better democratic world for tomorrow.

I looked back on my Cambodian pictures, which are the best that I have ever taken. In some of the pictures, I can't believe the quality of the light. I am toying with the idea of going back to Angkor Wat to do a photo study and maybe it will be book quality. I should be back in Cambodia around June, 2008.

In July, 2008 I am registered to go to a Conference in Kuching, Sarawak about some of the volunteer successes. This is the first time I have been back to Sarawak since I left in 1966. I thought about going back off and on since the elapsed time, but never quite did it because I did not know what to think about my boyfriends that I left there. Now, after this last trip to Thailand and Cambodia, I feel alright about going back to Sarawak. Somebody told me that Malaysia is like the California of SE Asia.

So, these are my thoughts for today.

Saturday in Kathmandu: April, 2008

Well, I am feeling a little bit more secure now that news keeps coming out about the Tibetan story. Most probably, initially, the intention was the "shut up" all the outside voices, so they could carry on with their dark and twisted ways. China seems to demand absolute allegiance to the state, absolutely no deviations allowed. Methinks that they have gone a bit crazy demanding this kind of allegiance, especially in today's world where there is very little allegiance to a state at all. I am also feeling more secure that the issue is now out in the open even if the Chinese authorities do not realize it. Sometime, they are going to try and pull off another close down of Lhasa so they can carry out their "punishments" for going public. I think the Tibetan monks and nuns have realized that the only way to deal with their situation is to go public and get everything out there in the public eye; otherwise, nobody hears the cries locked away in the various parts of China. Maybe there are all kinds of things hidden away in that land and maybe some more of it will come out during this prelude to the Olympics.

Here in Kathmandu, life seems out of step with the greater world out there. The Nepalese are completely absorbed in their political story and not a part of the greater one. It usually is not this way in Kathmandu, which has been a kind of center for discussion and change during my life from the 1970's, but that has changed as I think the "center" is now in Delhi, of all places. It is probably a good thing too, because Delhi is sitting out there all vulnerable to the world of terrorism.

Me, I am thinking about going back to Cambodia and working on some children's issues for awhile and it seems to be falling into place pretty good. I think I will go back either in late May or June after taking care of things here in Kathmandu. I don't like the "loadshedding" with the utility especially when I am paying a reasonable amount to live here. To what degree the "loadshedding" is symbolic of political malfunctions is none of my business; but I don't like being without the light.

These are my thoughts for today.